Lock mechanism



A ril 19, 1932. H H W 1,854,563

LOCK MECHANI SM Filed June 20 1930 24 2 /7a 7b zlwuemto'v Patented Apr.19 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j JOHN H. SHAW, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNEGTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SARGENT & COMFANY, OF

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT LOCK MECHANISM Application filed. June 20, 1930.Serial No. 462,625.

' This invention relates to animprovement in locks and more particularlyto an improvements in casings or housings for use in connection with pintumbler locks.

Such locks ordinarily comprise a key barrel and a lock housing orcylinder within which the barrel is receivedand which contains bores forthe reception of the pin tumblers or drivers and the springs by whichthese elements are actuated. It has been the usual practice to formthese housings by casting and to thereafter drill the bores for thetumblers, the ends of these bores being closed by plugs or the likeafter the cylinder has been loaded.

One object of the present-invention is to provide a lockhousing for pintumbler locks which may be manufactured more economically than similardevices in use a this time.

2 Another object of the invention is the pro vision of a lock housingmade up of a series of flat disks or plates which may be manufacturedeconomically, and which may-be assembled with facility so that acomplete lock structure may be manufactured more cheaply than is thecase with the usual locks of this character. v V

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a lock caseof this character constructed of a series of fiat disks or plates whichmay be readily assembled upon the key barrel, and to provide endsections such that the parts may be assembled between shoulders upon thekey barrel and thereby retained against longitudinal movement.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel featuresand combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of a padlock with the cover removed showing my improvedlock to be associated herewith; v

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the lock unit;

Fig. 3, is a side elevational view thereof,"

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line H of Flg. 2;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the key v I Fig. 6 is an elevationalview of one 'of the barrel;

disks or plates which contain the tumbler recesses Fig. spacer plates;

Fig. 8 is an elevational View of one of the end sections or plates, and

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of a modified formof lock. 1

While I have chosen to illustrate my improved lock unit in connectionwith a padlock, it will be understood that its use is not confined topadlocks, but may be used-in connection with any lock wherein a pintumbler lock is desired. A padlock which I selected to illustrate apreferred embodiment of my 7 is an elevational view of one of theinvention, comprises generally a casing 10, a V

a shackle 11, a swinging bolt 12, a roll back or bolt-actuating member13 and a lock unit designated generally by the numeral 14. As thespecific construction of the padlock is not claimed herein, it will notbe necessary to describe in further detail the various features thereofwith the exception of the lock unit with which the present applicationis concerned. This lock unit comprises, in general, a housing 15designed to contain the usual springs and tumblers and provided with anopening to receive the key barrel 16.

The lock housing 15 is made up of a plurality of flat plates or disks,the thicker disks 17 being designed to house the tumblers and springsand being alternated with the thinner spacing disks or sections 18.

The tumbler plates 17, as shown in Fig. 6, are provided with circularopenings 19 within which the key barrel may be received and which are ofsufficient size to be slipped over the end of the key barrel oppositethe head 20 thereof. Communicating with the central opening 19 is a slotor recess 21 to receive the tumblers or drivers 22 and the usual springs23, as it will be understood that the members 17 are assembled upon thekey barrel with the slot 21 registering with the key slot 16 Referringto Fig. 4:, it will be seen that the plates 17 are of sutficientthickness so that the springs 23 and pins 22 will lie between the planesof the side faces thereof.

The spacer plates or disks 13 are shown in Fig. 7, and each of theseplates is provided with an opening 2 1- of the same dimensions as theopening 19 so that they may be slipped over the end of the key barrel.These plates are of sufiicient thickness'to properly space the pintumblers at the desired center distances and it will be apparent thatwhen these plates, which are provided with solid body portions above thecircularopenings 2 1, areplaced against the plates 17, the sides of therecesses 21 will beclosed, so as to confine the springs anddriverstherein.

t will be noted that, as shown in Figs. 3, 4:,and 5, the key barrel isprovided with annular grooves 26 and 27 between which lies the housingfor the lock mechanism, the two end plates 17 being flush with the'innerends of these grooves. Two end sections 28 and 29, shown in side view inFig. 3, are placed at the outer sides of the two end tumbler sections17; 'As shown in Fig. 8, these sections have a solid body portion andare provided with semi-circular recesses 30, so that they may be placedlaterally upon the key barrel, as distinguished from the sections 17 and18 which must be slipped over the end thereof. The recesses 30 are ofslightly smaller diameter than the openings 19 and 24 so that the edgesof these recesses may enter; the grooves 26 and 27 and retain thesections 17 and 18 against longitudinal movement. It will, of course, beapparent that, as in the form shown, the head 20 of the key barrel isslightly larger than the body thereof, the end section 28 may beprovided with a circular opening of the same size as the opening 19, asit may be slipped over the small end of the key barrel and lodgedagainst the head thereof and retained in place by the section 29. Thethickness of the end sections 28 and 29 may, of course, be varied tosuit the conditions obtaining in the particular lock with which they areused, but both of these sections will have solid body portions so as toclose the sides of the recesses 21 in the adj acent tumbler sections 17.

It will be apparent that the flat sections of which the lock housingisconstructed may be readily and economically made by stamping operationsand assembled upon the key barrel with facility and it will also beobvious that they may be loaded as they are assembled and the recessesclosed by the intermediate plates. The end sections 28 and 29 may besecured together and'to the other sections by pins or rivets passingthrough the openings 31, or the lock structure within which my unit isused may be suitably constructed to hold the parts assembled without theuse of any securing devices.

In Fig. 9 of the drawings I have shown a modified form of my inventionwherein the plates provided with the tumbler-receiving slots 21 are madeof relatively thin material and, as shown, two of these plates l7 and 17are placed between the spacer plates 18, the two plates havingsubstantially the same thickness as the single plate 17 shown in Fig. 3.When the plates are made of relatively thin material, as inthisinstance, they may be stamped out more readily, and when two areplaced in juxtaposition, the tumbler-receiving slots will besubstantially the same thickness asthe tumblers so that the latter maybe received in these slots.

WVhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all ofthe details shown, but is capable of modification and variation withinthe spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A look housing comprising a series of plates having solid bodyportions, and a second series of plates disposed between each twoadjacent plates of the first series, the plates of said second serieshaving tumblerreceiving recesses extending from face to face thereof, akey barrel upon which said plates are assembled, said key bairel beingprovided with an annular slot, and one-of the end plates of said firstseries being formed to enter said slot to retain the assembled platesagainst movement longitudinally of the key barrel.

2. A lock unit comprising a key barrel having a series of tumblerstherein, a series of plates mounted thereon, each plate having a portionencircling the key barrel, and a slot communicating with the key slot insaid barrel, and said plates being assembled on the key barrel with saidslots forming a tumblerreceiving recess substantially the width of thetumblers, spacer plates between said firstnamed plates, said spacerplates also encircling the key barrel and having solid body portionsabutting said recesses, and end plates abutting the outside faces'of the'end tumbler plates, one of said end plates being adapted to be slippedon said key barrel laterally of said barrel and means for securing saidplate against movement longitudinally of the barrel.

3. A lock unit comprising a key barrel having a series of tumblerstherein, a series of plates mounted thereon, each plate having a portionencircling the key barrel, and a slot communicating with the key-slot insaid barrel, and "said plates being assembled on the key barrel withsaid slots forming a tumblerreceiving recess substantially the Width ofthe tumblers, spacer plates between said firstnamed plates, said spacerplates also encircling the key barrel and having solid body portionsabutting said recesses, and end plates abutting the outside faces of theend tumbler 7 plates, one of said end plates being adapted to be slippedon said key barrel laterally of said barrel and means for securing saidplate 10 against movement longitudinally of the barrel, and means forsecuring said plates together.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day 01 June,1930. JOHN H. SHAW.

